For the first time in
over ten years, all three of Devon’s professional sides, Exeter City
Each club has
experienced ups and downs during that time. The Pilgrims have won two
promotions (2002 & 2004) and back-to-back relegations (2010 & 2011),
coupled with a financial meltdown which saw the club’s players and staff go
unpaid during a lengthy spell in Administration.
Torquay United have
both enjoyed promotions from League Two and both have experienced relegations
from the Football League before making glorious returns via the Play-Offs.
Now all three side’s
have different ambitions going into the 2012-13 campaign.
After missing out in
the Play-Off Semi-Finals last season, Torquay United will be looking to go one
better this time around.
Following the
departures of Bobby Olejnik, Mark Ellis and Eunan O’Kane, moves which have
earned the Gulls £555,000, manager Martin Ling has moved to bring in Billy
Bodin, for £70,000 from Swindon Town, Ryan Jarvis, Craig Easton, Thomas Cruise,
Michael Poke and Aaron Downes.
Overachievement is a
word that has been used to describe Torquay’s achievements in recent seasons,
they have finished 7th and 5th in the last two campaigns
and were still in with a shout of automatic promotion up until the final day of
the 2011-12 season.
However, if the Gulls
can unearth a 25-30-a-season combination between a forward roster that includes
Rene Howe, Jarvis and Bodin, probably the best collection of strikers seen at
Plainmoor since the automatic promotion winning side of 2004-when then manager
Leroy Rosenior could have called upon David Graham, Jo Kuffour and Martin
Gritton-then Torquay could be set for another Play-Off challenge.
Following their
relegation last term-after finishing 8th in League One the season
before-Paul Tisdale is facing a rebuilding job at St James Park after seeing a
number of his star performers, including Daniel Nardiello, David Noble and Troy
Archibald Henville to name but a few, leave the Grecians.
Nevertheless, Tisdale
has developed a fine reputation for developing young players in recent years and
it would not be a huge shock to see midfielder Liam Sercombe follow in the footsteps
of Dean Moxey, George Friend and Dan Seaborne and leave St James Park for
bigger things this season.
In future years, he
could be joined on the list by Scott Bennett and Elliot Frear.
A mid-table finish
looks most likely for the Grecians at this stage, who have also added plenty of
know how to their squad in the shape of Kevin Amankwaah, Craig Woodman and the
returning Matt Oakley and Jamie Cureton.
Meanwhile, Plymouth
Argyle manager Carl Fletcher will be looking to continue the rebuilding job he
started last season after taking over from Peter Reid. At the time of his
initial appointment, the Pilgrims only had one point to their name and were
still in Administration.
At this point Fletcher
himself had been set to lead the players on strike after they were forced to
defer their wages during the lengthy Administration process, which was finally
resolved in October last year when James Brent completed his takeover of the
club.
During the close
season, the Pilgrims said goodbye to captain Simon Walton who returned north to
sign for Hartlepool United. He has since been replaced as captain by
experienced defender Darren Purse.
Other new arrivals
Newquay born midfielder Jamie Lowry, striker Paris Cowan-Hall, Andres Gurreri,
the first South America player ever to sign for the Pilgrims, goalkeeper Rene
Gilmartin, Rhys Griffiths, a fireman who has topped the League of Wales scoring
charts for the last seven years and loanee midfielder Johnny Gorman.
With Purse, Frenchman
Maxime Blanchard and Curtis Nelson to choose from in the centre of defence, the
Pilgrims are likely to be a difficult side to beat, especially at Home Park,
but the main target for Fletcher will be to continue to build solid foundations
to help the Pilgrims move forward in the future.
Youngsters Luke Young
and Matt Lecointe will also be looking to continue to build on the promise they
both showed last season.
